Air-blast gear of breech-loading ordnance.



A. T. DAWSON AND1 G. T. BUCKHAM.

` AIR BLAST GEAR 0F BREECH LOAD|NG ORDNANCE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 15. 191s. Patentgd May 6, 1919 2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

A.T. DAWSON ANDA'G. T. BucKHAM. AIR BLAST GEAR OF BREECH LOADING ORDNANCE.

APPLlcATloN man APH. 15, |915.

- Patented May 6, 1919.A

2 SHEETS-SHEET v2'.

my .wams Perses :o wrmwuma.. wasumcrmv. n. c.

ARTHUR TREVOR DAWSON AND GEORGE THOMAS BUCKI-IAM, OF-W-ESTMINSTER LONDON, ENGLAND, ASSIGNORS T VICKERS LIMITED, OF WESTMINSTER,

I ENGLAND.

To all whom 'it may concern v,

Be it known that we, Sir ARTHUR TREvoR DAWSON, knight, and GEORGE THOMAS BUcx- HAM,'bOth subjects of the King of Greaty Britain, residing at Vickers House, Broady way, Westminster, in the county of Lon# 'clearly understood and readily carried into don, England, have invented certain new and'us'eul Improvements in or Relating to the Air-Blast Gear of Breech-Loading Ordnance, of which the following is a specication;

This invention relates to the air blast gear employed in breech loading ordnance for the purpose of automatically injecting into the gun breech ajet or jets of compressed air or other vsuitable Huid during the opening of the'breech, with the object of obviating the backward rush of flame or hot gases which is liable to occur when the gun is re'd in a head wind and also with the object of eii'ectually clearing the bore-ofthe gun of any combustible matter which may remain thereinA after ring.

' kAccording tothis vinvention we employ a device which operatesuponthe valve that controls the supply of compressed air, and4 retards this valve, for a definite period of time, during its closing movement so that a prolonged blast of air can be 'obtained The said retarding device may be of such a character that the time .occupied by they valve'to return to its cut oil' position can be regulated at will so that the duration of the blast of air can be altered to suit various requirements. The retarding device may take the form of a dash potfcomprising a vane attached to the actuating device of the control lvalve and disposed in a chamber which is filled with oil or other suitable liquid.

In order that the said invention may be effect, we will describe the same more fully p withreference to the accompanying drawings, inwhich Figure 1 is an end elevation of part of the breech end of a gun showing our improved form of air blast gear applied thereto.

' Fig. 2 is a plan of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional side elevation of Fig. l, the section being taken approximately on the line l, 1 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a section taken approximately on the line 2, 2 of Fig. 1, and

AIR-BLAST G-EAR OF BREEGH-LOADING ORDNANCE.

Patented May, 1919.

5' isa section taken approximately on the line 3, 301i' Fig. 3.

A is the breech end of the gun, B the control valve for the compressed air which en- ,ters the breech chamber through the pipea and the passages a in the gun. The actu-- ating device for the valve lever is in the example shown similar .to that heretofore pro- J posed by us, comprising a spring controlled tripping cam C on the carrier axis pin Cc which cam coperates with the valve lever C2 rigidly connected to a pivot pin 02 carried by the valve casing C25. The tripping cam C causes the valve lever C2 and its pivot-pin to be rocked about the axis of the latter during the opening movement of the breech carrier. This valve, lever is formed with a cam Cwith which the stem of the control valve B coperates, and is under the control of a plunger C4 operated by a spring o* for the purpose of returning the valve lever C2 when the tripping cam C moves out of engagement with the said lever, to aposition in which lits cam no longer operates upon the valve stem, the `valve then closing under the influence of its spring and of the air pressure. During the closing movement of the carrier the tripping cam C is depressed by its engagement'with the valve lever C2 without actuating the latter.` Y

D represents the aforesaid vanewhich is attached to the pivot c2 of the valve lever C2 so that thevane moves angularly with the said valvelever and-D represents the oil or otherliquid-chamber in which the vane is disposed. The lSaid vvane may as shown have two wings, each of which may be provided with anon-return ball valve d (Fig. 4). These ball valves permit the oil to iiow freely from one side of the wings to the other during the opening Amovement of the control valve B but close Whenthe control valve commences its cut off movement so that the oil has to pass slowly between the wings and the chamber, thereby retarding the closing of the control valve. A member D3 having an adjustable by-pass d3 is in the exampleshown arranged above the chamber D and is retained in position by a screw threaded cap D4. A screw threaded plug d3* passing through the member D3 serves to regulate the by-pass d3 so that the retarding action of the oil can be adjusted as desired by obtaining a relatively' free or restricted.,

bination With the control valve'thereof, of

means for opening said valve during the opening of the breech and means for automatically retarding the closing movement of said valve.

3. Inair blast gear for ordnance, the cornbination With the control valve thereof, of means for opening said valve and for releasing it during the opening of the breech and means for retarding the closing movement of said valve after release.

4:. In air blast gear for ordnance, the combination with the control valve thereof, of means for opening said valve and a dashpot device for retarding the closing movement of said valve.

5. In air blast gear for ordnance, the combination With the control valve thereof, of means for opening said valve during the opening of the breech, and a dashpot device for retarding the closing movement of said valve.

6v. In air blast gear for ordnance, the combination With the control valve thereof, of

means for opening said valve and for releasing it during the opening of the breech and a dashpot device for retarding the closing movement of said valve after release.

7. In air blast gear for ordnance, the combination With lthe control valvey thereof, of means forl opening said valve, means for automatically retarding its closing l movement and means for regulating the retardation of the valve.

8. In air blast gear for ordnance, the combination With the control valve thereof, of means for opening said valve during the opening of the breech, means for automati- Gopies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each; by addressing Washingtoml). C. i

cally retarding the closing movement of said valve, and meansfor regulating the retardation of the valve.

9. In air blast gear for ordnance, the com` bination With the control valve thereof, of means for opening said valve and releasing it during the opening of the breech, means for retarding the closing movement of said valve after release, and means for regulat- -ing the retardation of the valve.

'10. In air blast gear for ordnance, the combination With the control valve thereof, of an actuating device for said valve,'means for moving said device to open the valvek during the opening of the breech and for then releasing the device and a dash pot device operating upon said device for retarding the closing movement of the valve.

11. In air blast gear for ordnance, the l combination Withthe control valve thereof, of an actuating device for said valve, means for moving said device to open the valve during the openin of the breech and kfor then releasing the evice, a rotary vane ooni `the passage of the fluid from one side to the other of the vane during the closing movement of thecontrol valve. i

In testimony whereof We affix our signatures in presence of two Witnesses.

ARTHUR TREVOR DAWSON. GEORGE THOMAS BUOKHAM.

Witnesses:

HENRY KING', JN0. R. CnsWnLL.-

the Commissioner of` Patenti. 

